With an average success rate of one to three percent, cold calling is now a thing of the past.
Happy customers want to avoid being bombarded with annoying calls (just like you) or listening to sales agents who might be following the same old script. Thus, if you’re still doing cold calls to find sales leads, you could do your new business more harm than good. Luckily, other more effective lead generation strategies exist to reach out to potential customers.
This guide will teach you how to generate leads without cold calling. We’ll also talk about how Automation and Data Scraping Software can make collecting lead information much easier.
Why Should You Quit Cold Calling?
Cold calling has more disadvantages than advantages. Most people avoid unexpected calls, especially from brands trying to sell products or services. They find it intrusive and obnoxious, so your paying customers will hang up when they hear your sales pitch.
Moreover, cold calling is very time-consuming and unsustainable. It can take hundreds of phone calls throughout the day before you even find a lead. Another thing, explaining a product or service over the phone can be difficult and less effective.
People need more than a sales pitch to decide whether or not they will buy something. Consumers are much smarter these days that they take time to read online reviews, research the internet, and ask for opinions from their peers. They do all of these things before deciding to make a purchase.
How To Generate Leads Without Cold Calling
Cold calling is a type of outbound marketing where companies initiate conversations with potential customers or leads. The problem with this approach is it’s too expensive, and many consumers dislike it.
Luckily, there are far better ways to generate leads without cold calling. Check out these proven inbound marketing techniques to make people reach out to you freely and willingly.
Dive Into Social Media
With over four billion people using social media daily, this platform is perfect for big and small businesses looking to reach and attract new prospective leads.
Here are the different ways to generate leads from social media:
Share testimonials as social proof
Social networking sites like Facebook and Instagram are excellent places to showcase paying customer stories and testimonials. 92% of consumers use reviews to guide their purchase decisions. Furthermore, 53% say that social proof is one of the most important factors in their online shopping experience.
This is why harnessing reviews on social platforms is more effective than promotional content, paid advertising, and traditional sales process marketing. That said, if you received an amazing review worth shouting out to the world, go and post it online. You can also encourage customers to leave reviews, especially if they liked your product or service.
Use social media ads
Ads are another excellent way to generate leads from social media. Most social media networks have sophisticated targeting features that allow you to reach relevant audiences. To make your ads more impactful, tailor your ad copy to target the needs and interests of your potential customers.
Incorporate a powerful call-to-action to guide people down your sales funnel. Some social media platforms offer custom advertising features to launch your advertising campaigns. For instance, Facebook lets you generate dynamic lead generation ads that work similarly to retargeting.
For example, if a user has expressed interest in your business but still needs to submit their information, the ad triggers them to take the next step.
Find Leads on LinkedIn
LinkedIn comprises professional decision-makers with purchasing power. That’s why most B2B marketers consider it an effective source for generating leads. Using LinkedIn as a lead generation process tool is a pretty straightforward process.
Start with creating a polished profile that showcases the strengths of your brand. Then, consider posting industry-relevant content to position yourself as a knowledgeable source and establish authority in your niche.
When people recognize you as a valuable source, you’ll develop connections with those who fit your ideal customer profile. You can also join LinkedIn groups that focus on industry-relevant interests.
Consider posting content and updates in these groups to encourage discussions. If you join groups wisely, your potential customers will begin to trust you more and see you as an authority.
Join Networking Events
Another way to generate leads without picking up the phone is by attending networking events. Finding high quality leads through networking involves more than just swapping business cards. It’s about making the right connections and using them to move your business forward.
When you make a personal connection with a business contact, you open the door to a meaningful relationship that can help expand your business later. However, before you jump into networking, it’s important to have a lead generation strategy.
If your goal is to increase your customer base, you should connect with non-competing brands that have the same clients as you. For example, if you’re a software developer, consider attending networking events for businesses offering physical items.
Also, consider businesses that need a more intuitive approach to managing their day-to-day operations. Set up a booth at a fitness expo if you are a healthy food company. Networking can include more than just attending local events. It can also come in the form of online meetups.
Create a Winning Referral Program
A strong referral program can help you find highly qualified leads more likely to result in sales. With referral marketing, acquiring email addresses is incredibly easy. For example, you can ask existing customers to refer people to your website and fill out an online form in exchange for a reward.
With an intelligent referral program, you can have as many contact details as you can in no time. Offering rewards doesn’t have to be exclusive to your paying customers. You can also offer it to your new leads.
Doing so can help you generate even more high quality leads because it makes people more likely to take action. Whether signing up for a demo or opting into your newsletter list, a reward is hard to ignore.
Offer Valuable Content
Content marketing isn’t just about filling up your web pages to rank on search engines, but it’s about giving your prospects valuable and relevant information. That said, you want to focus on creating and distributing engaging content that can encourage customers to reach out to you.
However, before you hop into the fast lane of content marketing, you first want to understand your audience’s needs. Talk to existing customers, ask them questions, and research online. Look at competitors to see the types of content they make.
These should help you craft high-quality content your prospects will be interested in. Next, ensure your content is accurate and backed by facts and data. Pick topics that are trending in your niche and take the time to research them so you can provide valuable insights to your prospects.
Once you’ve published your content, promote it on various channels. Distribute it on your social media pages or collaborate with PR companies to create more exposure.
Make Product Demos
If you’re a SaaS company, scheduling demos is one of the easiest ways to find leads. Showing people how your product works and letting them become familiar with it is a significant step in converting leads into customers. Typically, you schedule a demo with a prospect over the phone or via email.
However, you can use a third-party system where prospects can sign up to see a product demo. They can start with an online demo or sign up for a live webinar that allows them to ask questions. Alternatively, prospects can schedule their live one-on-one demo.
You can also showcase your product through a free trial. By giving a sample or free trial, the customer can use the item, learn more about what the product does, and give feedback.
Join Online Directories
Another powerful method of driving leads to your business without cold calling is joining online directories like G2 and Capterra. Most people will conduct a Google search to find a product or service.
The search engine processes 40,000 searches per second, and 46% of those specifically return local information. There are several advantages to joining an online directory.
First, it enhances your online presence. The more directories you’re on, the bigger the chance of reaching potential customers.
Second, it improves your visibility locally. Submitting your information online helps local customers find you. Data shows that searches with the phrase “near me” have increased by over 500 percent in recent years. This means more and more people are looking for a business near them, whether it’s a grocery, restaurant, or home supply store.
Lastly, ensuring that your information pops up when customers use a search engine increases brand awareness. This makes them trust you, and the more they do, the more likely they will buy your product or service.
Make Lead Generation Easy With Automation and Data Scraping Software
Now that you know how to generate leads without cold calling, you need something to help you collect all information from various online sources. Automation and Data Scraping Software are cloud-based solutions that feature ready-made tools, making extracting lists of leads easy, quick, and reliable.
It’s a code-free tool that anyone on your team can use. Plus, it generates results 24/7, so you won’t have to worry about missing lead information.
Moreover, these applications source qualified leads from all websites and networks from where you find them and export the information into a simple spreadsheet.
Conclusion
It’s time to quit cold calling and move on to more effective lead generation strategies. The beauty of online marketing is the flexibility it offers. Try using any of these techniques and see which will benefit your business the most.
Then, use Automation and Data Scraping Software to save time and costs in gathering lead information. With it, you can focus on nurturing those leads and increase your conversions.
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